We survived the Winter From Hell and now it's rainy in Scarsdale, NY 10583 - Beware of Mold and Mildew. As many of us open our windows on warmer days and enjoy a spring breeze, we may let in a little rain and damp.  No worries, if you have central  air and a good roofline.  In older homes, though, this could bring in fresh air along with mold or mildew concerns later on. Mold and mildew may start growing or can revisit our older homes (Forrest and I have an circa 1896 colonial), now that it's raining almost daily.  Also, our cold weather is over and -- even though that's a happy thing -- the mold can bloom too. Bleach does NOT kill or remove mold...grandma was wrong and it's very unhealthy to breath and clean with even a 10% solution.  Mold is a "fungus among us," so if you've read my e... 04/17/2015

SPRING IS ON THE WAY, EVEN WITH SNOW THIS WEEK IN SCARSDALE, NY 10583   Had to share my grandmother's favorite spring saying:       "When we see the purple crocuses bloom, spring is on the way!"     She was a great gardener and grandmother of six, who we lost to Alzheimer's in 2011 at this time of year.     But, I remember her love of flowers, perennials and springtime, when everything begins to bloom again.  Be careful driving and walking in our "light snow" this week...and let's hope Winter is out and Spring is in at last!       03/19/2015

DON'T LET A OVERWORKED BOILER PUFFBACK AND PUT SOOT ON EVERY SURFACE IN HOMES & BUSINESSES IN SCARSDALE, NY 10583   When an oil boiler causes a puffback, it can spread soot throughout a home or business and disrupt your life or work.  Below are some causes and way to prevent this damage to your property.   Puffbacks are the result of a malfunctioning oil fired boiler, furnace or water heater. This damage can be harmful to your health, for children and pets and especially for the elderly.  Below are some ways to prevent a puffback:   PUFFBACK:  a puffback from oil fired heating equipment is literally an explosion of un-burned oil in the combustion chamber of an oil-fired boiler, furnace, or water heater.     It can spread oily soot on every surface in your home, including furniture, chil... 02/25/2015

SAY IT ISN'T SO...SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER, AFTER A SNOWY DOUBLE WAMMY IN THE PAST WEEK FOR SCARSDALE, NY 10583     On the heels of the hellish snow removal effort last week, we got hammered again overnight and this morning!  Now the issue is "to drive, or not to drive" in this half foot of snow, with an icy rain chaser! Wow, will it never end?   Courtesy:  The newspaper I grew up adoring & reading The Washington Post Apparently not!  Six more weeks of winter follow today's snow event because our fav groundhog, Phil, saw his shadow earlier this morning.   We are already dealing with the temps rising and falling, with the town and villages finest trying to keep streets safe and cleared.   Meantime, home or business owners finding wet basements and lower level storage areas and media room... 02/02/2015

Preventing and Thawing Frozen Pipes that can flood your home or business in Scarsdale, NY 10583               With crazy low temps that I'm calling "Bi-polar weather" -- heck with Polar Vortexes -- some of us may have the messy and often expensive issue of frozen pipes.  If it could just be normal in the mid-Atlantic without all these highs and lows...and below freezing for days, right?!     All of we independently owned Servpros (1,630+ in U.S. and Canada) are now national partners with The American Red Cross.  They were so helpful to New Yorkers after Superstorm Sandy and the many local floods and fires that our Servpro of Scarsdale... responds to annually.  Below are some of ours and the ARC's information, with some suggestions about preventing water pipes from bursting in your home ... 01/07/2015

Hello Southern Westchester and Rainmakers:   This is to wish all a great rest of the holiday season and a super New Year.   Be safe and beware of holiday fires with any candles lit for entertaining or heaters turned up to high for cold winter nights.  That's after yummy eggnog or a great glass of wine / champagne. Cheers for a successful 2015! ~ Hillary & Forrest Sheperd 12/30/2014

EVERYONE IS OR SHOULD BE BRACING FOR A BAD SNOW STORM IN TOWNS LIKE SCARSDALE, NY 10583   Winter Storm Warning in NYC and Southern NY State Print the Alert Send via Email Share on Twitter Share on Facebook   Posted 2 hours, 32 minutes ago – National Weather Service  How likely:   How soon:   How severe:     Maps courtesy of accuweather.com  --  I have app on my phone and check it daily. Here is the latest and greatest on the storm coming to the northeast and affecting many of us, this Turkey Day.  For anyone traveling, be aware of delays or use the tips below to prep your car, in case of delays...water, blankets, snacks and a flashlight or two top the list.   After work today, I have to go pick up turkey dinner for a friend, who's family is having a tough year/decade, from her church an... 11/25/2014

  Here's to a safe and super fun All Hallows Eve...Halloween everyone ~ Scarsdale, NY 10583   Halloween can be fun and entertaining for trick or treaters and homeowners.  However, we still may want to all take some precautions that will make All Hallows eve safe and super for the kids and home or business owners.   First, use electric or battery powered lighting vs. open candles in your pumpkins and windows.  Each year, we see homes on fire, due to unattended candles on decks or too close to curtains in a window frame.  They look great, but may not be safe for our properties or for the little witches and goblins.   Also, here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).   ALL DRESSED UP:• Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and tha... 10/31/2014

I am resending this to all because we can all forget to get our boiler maintained.  It's usually insured, but a Puffback or soot damage from a malfuncting boiler is a real mess. Heating & Boiler Malfunctions can lead to a Puffback (soot damage) in your Scarsdale, NY home or business - 10583!  It’s time to think about preventing a fire, soot damage or “puffback” in your home or business, especially if you have a boiler heating system and space heaters.  It’s all about maintenance and being safe!  Our winter season is at the half-way point—and it’s getting colder--so, we are all looking for warm alternatives as 2013 ramps up.  But, this is also the time of year that boilers can “puffback” soot into your property, or a portable heater can be moved too close to a fabric chair or couch that ... 10/28/2014

BE SURE TO CHANGE YOUR FIRE DETECTOR BATTERIES THIS WEEKEND IN SCARSDALE, NY 10583     National Fire Prevention Week is October 5 - 11 this year, so as this important week ends, I wanted to share tips for all our business and homeowner friends.  Most of us need a reminder about safety in our busy schedules -- that would be us, with the two start up businesses.       This year as always, attention is focused on promoting fire safety and prevention.  However, we should all remember to practice fire safety all year long. Many potential fire hazards go undetected because we need to take annual steps to fireproof our home or business. Many bedroom fires are caused by misuse or poor maintenance of electrical devices, careless use of candles, smoking in bed and children playing with matches an... 10/03/2014

An article on our company's "dirtiest jobs" on Bill Primavera's "homeguru.com" website!   Meeting Bill Primavera was like greeting a force of nature.  He is such an interesting and informed realtor and PR officianado, in a previous career.  We met over appetizers and much needed evening cocktails at Debbie Gartner's meetup this month in White Plains.     As a result of our asking about each others' work, with a group of eight Rainmakers, Bill asked to include my company and our story on his blog the following week.  Bill truly embodies our Rainmaker effort to help each other grow in the realty communities where we work.   Here's the result on Bill's blog site: www.http://thehomeguru.com/    Just click on August 2014 link / Archives, if you don't see my (scary) photo and article on "Dirt... 08/15/2014

 - Caption:  Happy Camper on Hump Day! 08/06/2014

As Hurricane Season gets going in the Atlantic and Pacific basins -- their temperatures can affect our Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region.   Here is the last in my series, as promised   Things look calm and primed to stay that way in Atlantic Basin as of Spring 2014   Now is the time to prep and plan for the worst, but hope for the best until the season ends by December 1st.     Remember that Sandy rolled in during Halloween week in 2012, after predictions of few storms and unlikely land strikes.  Below is a basic kit that can ease the pain of power outages and official "stay in place" warnings during a severe storm, or a hurricane -- from Cat 1 to 4, etc.   A basic emergency supply kit should probably include:    ·        WATER!  That's one gallon of water per person per day for at leas... 06/17/2014

Sandy comes up East Coast in October 2012 Hey all...sorry to be a weather geek, but our recent hurricane seasons just fascinate me.  It's either all or nothing, with Superstorm Sandy in 2012 and then, last year, we had "La Nada."  It's especially funny because forecasters warned of a bad La Nina storm season for summer 2013, especially in August and September.     Plus, in our business, we need to "saddle up" for storms that may flood home and business owners.   Lately, we need a weather vane for events like the microburst last June in Westchester County and our Polar Vortexes that caused frozen pipes this January.     We have all hands on deck in weather disasters, especially if Superstorm Sandy is our "new normal!"  BTW:  Very exciting to announce our new Small Woman Owned business, a... 05/30/2014

  Sandra sent this around and have to echo her fun and the joy...are you finding yourself living for the weekend?  Even for those of us who work 7 days and really don't get weekends, there's something about a warm Friday eve, wine on the way -- Chard in my case, that just beats all.   Forrest and I are prepping our housse for sale and should be packing the dining room.  Our lovely friend and realtor, Lucille Eterre, is listing our place this Thurs., May 1st.  We're a month late, I know, but so was freakin' SPRING.   So, as a squirrel mama...yes, Salali the squirrel is well and happy, with a dogwood bud branch breakfast this a.m., had to share!   Enjoy all! 04/25/2014

SNOW STORM ON THE WAY SUNDAY, YES MORE, IN SCARSDALE NY 10583   Raise your hand everyone, if you're "DONE" with winter.  I've posted this before, but did not share my roots, as a native Californian.  This stuff is something that you go to Lake Tahoe or Mammoth and ski in, then you go LIVE in 40 - 75 degrees F, like humans.  WOW.   Married a New Yorker and here we are in Westchester, pictured in WARMER times.  But, now I'm here for historic Polar Vortex episodes.  Happy to share with ya'll and have extra gloves and outer wear, if needed. But, this is inhumane...10 degrees tonight in the Mid-Atlantic...REALLY?         Even the meteorologists are shaking their heads at this phenomena and the "Grapes of Wrath" drought beginnings out West in Tom's territory of Sacramento.  Our West Coast car... 02/27/2014

Who's ready for summer...uh...more SNOW -- a 4 letter word in Westchester County, NY 10583?   Our winter is well underway and is bringing record snow and ice to the Tri-state NY area...like another midweek storm!   ...cannot wait for an end to all this "fun," in the snow -- with delays getting to our poor water damage clients. How about you?     Safety tips before and after the snow and weather hits are below:   Our "significant winter storm" last week in our NY region was amazing but is over -- that's good news because we have clients expecting us in our rear wheel drive vans and trucks -- one was a fire cleanup and tragic for the family!   Bad news:  Winter Storm "PAX" is on the way, slamming into snow weary southern states, then coming up to us in Scarsdale, NY 105893   Like you, we... 02/10/2014

This week I walked into a local post office with a bunch of things to mail to a greeting of "What? We're Closed!"  The lights were on, the doors were open - seems open to me!  I was then hustled out and the forgotten unlocked door was locked.                As everyone knows our area has been dealing with below zero temperatures for the past week and there are problems galore with homes.  Local businesses like plumbers, heating companies, companies like Servpro Scarsdale NY are running crazy right now trying to keep up with all the calls.  Late yesterday one of my clients had a problem that he needed taken care of and quickly.  Unfortunately for several reasons it had sat a little too long which made it even more urgent. When he contacted me I didn't have the number handy at that moment... 01/06/2014

Winter Weather brings Frozen pipes & Water Damages to clients in Scarsdale, NY 10583 homes & businesses   With overnight temps in the teens this week througout Westchester County, NY, I am resurrecting my blog from two COLD winters ago.  That's when we had many frozen pipe victims calling for help cleaning up and restoring their home and a few businesses -- they had water damaged floors, carpet and area rugs.  We will extract the water and try to save your carpet or area rugs and wood floors.   But, if you wait too long to get us there in under 48 hours -- check your insurance policies that probably say "get help" and do due diligence, or call your broker -- and then, call Debbie Gartner to replace your flooring or carpet at The Flooring Girl!   Below are some tips to insulate and prote... 12/11/2013

  AVOID HOME FIRES WITH CANDLES, COOKING & HOLIDAY COMPANY DURING THE HOLIDAYS IN SCARSDALE, NY 10583       We all enjoy having a festive holiday and keeping the "home fires" burning, but don't let it turn into a Thanksgiving tragedy or candle fire fiasco!  Actually, holiday cooking can be hazardous, especially with welcomed distractions from kids and loved ones while cooking in the kitchen.         Last year, a good friend and fav person left her oven mitt in the oven with her huge turkey for 15 -- and the material caught on fire.  She ended up with a rather tasty "smoked turkey," without using a Smoker AND dinner was saved.   Her son saw the smoke, got the oven glove out and saved the day...and the family home, by catching it early.  Other families have not been so lucky.     REMEMBER... 11/26/2013